Second Generation
by Diana Lily and Isabella
Summary: A smuggling ring gains two new leaders who are hell-bent on revenge for their father's death and the fall of their empire. Who should they target first but a prosecutor and his wife? Then again, tenth anniversaries rarely go as planned. A kidnapping leads to a race against time as Miles and Madeline Edgeworth try to save the things most precious to them.
1. Prologue

The door to the visitor's room creaked open and a uniformed guard escorted an elderly man to the chair. Despite the man's apparent frailty, he carried himself with the air of one who had been a hero in the past and knew it very well. He sat down, pulling his cloak around himself and glancing up at his visitor. "You've finally come."

The young woman in the visitor's chair tilted her head. "We came as soon as we heard."

"Yes, a regrettable decision. I will never see the skies of our native land again."

"They're doing it here?" Her face remained impassive.

"Yes. So it's time. Call your brother over. I can see him pacing in the back."

The woman turned and beckoned a man over. He stood behind the chair. The shadows on their faces highlighted the similarities between them - they both had the same dark brown hair and almond-shaped blue eyes. They both bowed their heads reverently.

"Quinn and Qadir Alba, I pass on leadership of the smuggling ring to you. May you use wisdom and power to maintain the goals of the original ring… and your father."

"Yes, Father," they said in unison, looking up.

The imprisoned Quercus Alba pulled an envelope out of the lining of his cloak and passed it through the hole in the bottom of the Plexiglass window. Quinn began flipping through the papers inside.

"This is everything you will need to get started," he told the two. "It has a list of all the connections you could possibly need, like the Amano Group and all the spies across the globe. The ring's been a bit… disorganized given recent events, but I'm sure you two will be able to bring it back to its former glory." He touched his medals almost absentmindedly, reflecting on the good old days.

Quinn, however, was more intrigued by a shorter list. "Father, what's this one? Oak, Edgeworth, Faraday, Lang, von Karma…"

Alba smiled, a dangerous grin that only scratched the surface of his truly corrupted nature. "That, my children, is your first assignment. These people are the ones responsible for my downfall and are also your first targets."

Qadir's eyes lit up and he snatched the list from his sister. She took it back irritably. "What would you like us to do, Father?" she asked.

He shook his head. "You're in charge now, daughter. It's up to you."

Quinn exchanged a glance with her brother, then they both looked up at their father, for what they knew might be the last time. "We won't let you down, Father. We promise."

* * *

**Second Generation - Coming later this summer.**

**I would love for someone to do artwork for a cover. PM me if you're interested. Catch you on the flip side! :)**

**~Diana**


	2. Ten Years

**A/N: So, I technically shouldn't be doing this yet. If my friends at GameCola found out that I've been working on this instead of finishing their project... But oh well. Here's the first chapter of _Second Generation_. I really hope this one comes out as well as it did in my head. I've been working on the next (next - I forgot there was another chapter in between the two) chapter for a few days now. This might be the last update for a bit, though. Diana has to do real world things, like college apps. So I'm not dead, just... on vacation. Anyways, hope you enjoy this random fluffy chapter!**

**~Diana**

* * *

Miles Edgeworth awoke to the sound of his wife struggling with the sheets, whimpering softly. He gently put his arms around her and kissed her forehead, trying to soothe her. She'd been having nightmares for the past few days, but never was able to recall them in the morning.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his knee. Apparently, one of her feet had managed to break free of the sheets. He exhaled sharply, adjusting to rub his knee. His movement caused Madeline's gray eyes to open and focus on him. Her hand found his on his knee. She breathed in quickly. "Did I-?"

Edgeworth nodded, then pulled her closer to him. "Sorry," she whispered, and he could tell just by her voice that she was frowning. She nestled into him, his chin resting on the top of her head.

"Do you remember anything?" he asked her. It had become part of their morning routine, this questioning. She thought for a second, then shook her head.

"I guess it doesn't matter, though, huh?" Madeline said quietly. He made a sound of agreement, but he could see that it upset her to be at a loss for something. "Hey," Madeline murmured. "Did you hear me?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Edgeworth replied, shifting, so he could see her face.

"I said 'Do you remember what today is?'" she said teasingly, wrapping her arms around his neck. He did know what today was, but he decided to tease his wife a little. Consider it revenge, for the knee thing.

"Today? It's Sunday, right? We don't have to go to the office…" He was absolutely reveling in her annoyed expression, her gray eyes snapping. "Did we have something special planned for today, Madeline?"

She rolled her eyes, throwing the covers off and sitting up. "Ten years of marriage hasn't changed your ability to be absolutely insufferable when you want to be, Miles" she noted dryly, running her fingers through her hair. He sat up as well, wrapping his arms around her.

"Happy anniversary," he whispered. She turned to face him, smiling.

"Ten years," Madeline said with a small sigh. "How on earth have you put up with me for that long?" His wife kissed him on the cheek, then got up and entered the bathroom. "You'd better get up, we promised we'd have our park day today," she called to him.

Edgeworth chuckled a little and stretched, rolling his shoulders. He was getting older, nearing his forties. The past ten years had been nothing but work and the process of beginning a family. The adventures he'd shared with Madeline and Kay seemed like a lifetime ago.

As these thoughts were crossing through his mind, his cell phone began to vibrate on his nightstand. A tinny version of the Jammin' Ninja theme emanated from it. Madeline stuck her head out of the bathroom, tightening the strap of her robe.

"What could Kay want this early in the morning?" she asked.

Edgeworth shrugged, answering. "Hello? Good morning, Kay. …Yes. Yes, I remember. …You're kidding. Really? Yes, I'll be there as soon as I can." He hung up, then turned to his wife. "Kay needs to meet me."

"What about?"

"I don't have time to explain everything right now, but… it's about the smuggling ring," replied Edgeworth as he entered the closet to change clothes. "I'll tell you everything at the park later, alright?"

"Yes." Madeline had learned long ago not to question these things.

Edgeworth emerged, fastening the cravat around his neck. His wife moved to straighten it, her quick fingers making easy work of the wrinkled material. He grabbed her hands gently. "I'll see you in a few hours," he said, kissing her quickly. Then he was gone, leaving his wife standing in the middle of their bedroom, utterly confused and completely worried.


	3. Interlude 1 - Partners in Crime

**A/N: Hello beautiful people! I am still alive, barely, but I'm hanging on. Any updates about my life... I've began a GameCola Phoenix Wright Let's Play walkthrough type thing that you all should check out, username is gcdotnet. I'm still working on editing Case 2, but that'll come soon. If I have any fans of 101010 here, that'll come at some point... serious writer's block.**

**As for real world issues, I'm trying to apply for college, but who cares about that, right?**

**I'm gonna start doing an interlude type thing between chapters, to make sure everyone gets equal screen time. Let me know if you like this or if it was confusing or... you know. The next chapter is written, I just have to type it up.**

**Don't forget to take the poll! Thanks for sticking with me, guys!**

**~Diana**

* * *

_A few hours earlier..._

A creaky door opened and closed. The young woman sitting in front of a large set of computer monitors didn't look away from the numbers flashing rapidly across the screen. The bright screens were the only source of light in the room, but it was apparent that it was very large and very empty.

"Welcome back, brother," the woman greeted him as the man flopped down on a small couch. They'd both gotten so used to the darkness of the room that they were able to find their way around it without visuals. "I trust there were no complications?"

The man snorted. "The little crow was kind enough to leave a back door open for me."

The woman swiveled to another screen with photos spread across it and tapped a few keys. She grinned as a particular picture filled the screen. "As I predicted, she has been keeping tabs on him."

"Yeah, Qui-"

The woman turned around, her eyes glowing with fury. Backlit by the computers, she looked terrifying. "No names!"

The man rolled his eyes. "You really think someone's gotten past your defenses and bugged this place?"

She turned away, reducing the size of the picture and sliding over to another screen. "I'm not willing to take any chances," she muttered, her fingers dancing over the keys. She scrolled down what appeared to be an email inbox. A new message was flashing. The woman clicked and read, her eyes moving faster than the speed of light.

"Bad news, brother," she said, her voice echoing around the room. The man sensed he was about to get another order and stood, moving behind his sister's chair. She closed the message before he could see it and turned to face him. "Oak has refused our offer."

The man was surprised. He thought Oak would still be loyal to the smuggling ring; he'd seen a picture of Oak and his father stashed inside the drawer where he'd put his delivery. But if his sister said it, then it must be true.

"Furthermore, he has sworn to turn us in." The woman turned away, pulling up another picture. "Although if this man is the estimation of this place's police force, I think we'll be fine. But there's always him…" Another picture filled the screen and both siblings glared in anger at it.

The man's mind was clouded with fury, not just because of the man on the screen, but because of the betrayal of Oak. How could he do this? After they'd worked so hard to get here… Would Oak really dare to betray their father's memory like this?

"What should I do?" he asked his sister.

The woman sighed, swiveling back around to face him. "I'm sorry to make you go back there again, but…"

"Consider it done." The man nodded and started to leave the room.

"I'm sorry, brother," the woman called, already back to her computers. She reread the email from her father's former partner again.

_The Second Generation will be a glorious new ring, one fit to bear the name of Alba… and Oak. I will meet you at the appointed place and time to discuss our new partnership._

It was the last word that had tipped her off. Would Oak try to take over? She wouldn't allow that to happen, if it was the last thing she ever did. The irony of that statement was beautiful, she thought to herself. Too bad her brother wasn't there to appreciate it.

The woman opened the video feed from Oak's apartment – it had been simple to hack into the crow-girl's bugs and use them for her own purposes. She settled back into her chair, one eye on the scrolling numbers, one eye on the video feed. She was a very busy girl. Her father would be proud.

She sighed in contentment. All was right in the world.


	4. Sunday Morning

**A/N: Well, I feel productive now. Two chapters in just as many days! And things are kind of starting to get dramatic now. Hooray! ...I guess. Hope you like it! **

**~Diana**

* * *

Edgeworth ascended the twelve flights of stairs to his office, marveling at how the daily trips up over the years had kept him in very good shape. He also noticed the silence – it had been a long time since he'd made the trek to his office alone. Madeline was usually by his side.

Not many prosecutors were working on Sunday, so Edgeworth proceeded undisturbed down the hallway. As he reached his office, he paused outside the door, a sudden sense of foreboding overwhelming him. Something behind this door was going to change his life forever.

His stomach sank as he realized the door was unlocked. He opened it slowly, gray eyes scanning the dark room, and exhaled in relief. A silhouette was sitting in his chair, booted feet propped up on his perfectly polished desk, tugging on a pair of gloves. As Edgeworth turned on the lights and took off his jacket, Kay jumped up, grinning.

"Finally, you're here!" She still looked the same as ever to Edgeworth, but he supposed she'd grown up a little over the years. But she hadn't lost the enthusiasm that kept her on the path to the truth.

As he was lost in his reminiscing, Kay almost tackled him as she gave him a hug. Edgeworth patted her on the back. He'd barely seen her since he and Madeline had chosen her as godmother to their second child.

Kay grinned up at him, the same fire in her eyes as ever. But something was off about her, something that the prosecutor couldn't quite place.

"How are the kids? And the wife?" the thief asked teasingly.

Edgeworth crossed to his desk, unconsciously fixing things Kay had moved. "They're well, thank you," he replied while sitting down. Kay perched on the edge of his desk and Edgeworth pressed his fingertips together, glancing over at her. "Kay, what is this all about?"

Kay sighed, her lower lip jutting out a bit. "You never were one for small talk, were you, Mr. Edgeworth?" She jumped off the edge of the desk, turning to face him. "Do you remember Alba's partner?"

"In the smuggling ring? Of course. Oak, wasn't it?" Edgeworth remembered pictures, but the man had never been tracked down, even for Alba's trial.

Kay pulled out her phone, sliding it across the desk toward him. "Well, I found him."

Edgeworth flipped through the pictures. They looked like stills from some kind of security camera, but it was clearly Burr Oak: working at a desk, cooking, sleeping. They looked like they'd been taken over a long period of time, judging by the differing weather and Oak's different outfits. "I'm almost afraid to ask how you got all these," he muttered.

"Easy!" Kay crowed. "Even in the depths of night, when no other bird dares to take flight, one alone soars to shine the light of righteousness on the world's blight! The Yatagarasu! It was surprisingly simple. I just snuck into his house and bugged his fancy security system. He must be afraid of someone."

But Edgeworth had stopped listening. "Kay… what is this?"

Kay glanced at the screen and instantly paled. "S-see, this is why you shouldn't rush ahead," she said weakly, making to take the phone back, but Edgeworth held on, his eyes hardening into the now-familiar glare. Kay gulped – she'd never been on the receiving end of one of these before.

"Kay," the prosecutor repeated, his voice growing dangerous. "What is this?"

"I found him this morning," the thief said, her voice hollow as she was engulfed in a flashback of the final trip to the apartment.

_The lights were off. Kay nodded to herself and quickly shimmied up the fire escape as she'd done dozens of times before. She silently cracked the window open and slipped inside to a spot she knew was out of the view of the cameras out of habit. She had the layout memorized from rigorous training with Little Thief. _

"_Now," she muttered, glancing around at the telltale red dots of security cameras, "what's going on with you, little guys?" Her carefully placed bugs had been sending her absolutely nothing for the past couple hours. The thief nimbly jumped atop a couch, examining the camera on the wall above it. Her bug was completely disabled._

"_Huh," Kay exhaled. Then she noticed that the camera was dead silent. "Is it not on?" The young woman thought about it for a second. "Might as well take this opportunity, right?" _

_Kay prowled through the house, looking for anything that might be useful in her investigation, when… _

"_O-oh my god!" _

_The thief almost tripped on the corpse of Burr Oak, sprawled on an Oriental rug in the study. Blood had dried on the carpet from where it had spilled from his mouth. Kay tried to keep her head, moving around the body in an attempt to determine the cause of death. She also took pictures, knowing that this needed to be documented for her investigation, no matter how morbid it was. But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't figure anything out. Except…_

_With trembling fingers, Kay plucked the thing that she'd been trying not to look at, but had magnetized her gaze since she'd entered the room. "No…" she breathed, backing out of the room and running full tilt for the window where she'd entered. She climbed down and once at the bottom, called the one person she trusted with this information._

_As Kay waited for Edgeworth to pick up the phone, she glanced down at the thing clutched in her hand, a hard knot forming in her stomach. Everything was about to change._

Kay glanced at the prosecutor, who was still intently examining the pictures. "No discernable cause of death," he murmured. "Wait… what's this?"

Kay winced. She thought she'd deleted all the photos with **that** in it. When she peeked back over at Edgeworth, she was sincerely worried that her phone would break from his intense glare. "M-Mr. Edgeworth," she stammered, wondering how best to calm him down.

"Kay, would you care to explain to me why there is a photograph of my family on this corpse," he paused and held up a hand to stop an objection, "and why on earth you would choose to hide this information from me?"

"Because I didn't want you to…" Kay trailed off, then mustered up her courage to begin again. "Mr. Edgeworth, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just didn't want you to… freak out."

Edgeworth slammed the phone on the desk and Kay moaned, rushing forward to check on her baby.

"There was another reason," she told him, digging around in her pocket and pulling out the actual picture.

"You took that from the crime scene?" Edgeworth asked disapprovingly.

Kay ignored him and tapped the area beside a red figure scrawled on the corner of the photo. She was obviously reluctant to touch the shape itself. "Have you seen this before?"

Edgeworth examined the symbol. It looked like a pair of interlocking chain links. "I don't think it's blood," he noted, answering Kay's unasked question. "But no, I've never seen it before." His fingers brushed over the happy faces in the photo and he felt his blood run cold. "I need to call her," he said, picking up his own phone.

There was complete silence in the office as the phone rang… and rang… and rang. Letting out a muffled curse, Edgeworth grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, Kay on his heels. Just as the prosecutor's hand was reaching for the doorknob, his phone suddenly sprang to life, vibrating furiously. The two both stared at it for a second, specifically the name on the screen. Kay was beginning to feel some of the sinking feeling that Edgeworth was experiencing. Why hadn't she just shown him the picture first thing?!

Edgeworth was trying to convince himself that the incoming call was about something unrelated, a case he was supposed to be investigating or something.

"Uh, Mr. Edgeworth," Kay shook him out of his thoughts gently. "Shouldn't you get that?"

Edgeworth shook his head, clearing his mind, and slowly lifted the phone to his ear. "What is it?" he asked, keeping his voice calm and curt. He was afraid if he didn't control it, it might crack. Cold fear was seeping into him. In three words, his worst fears were realized.

"Sir, it's terrible!"

Edgeworth was already out the door, sprinting for the stairs. "Gumshoe, what's going on?!" he yelled.

"Not sure yet, sir, but sounds like you know more than I do. I'm en route to Griffith Park, and I know that's where you and Madeline were…" He trailed off and Edgeworth heard the wailing of a siren. "O-okay, sir, don't panic… but an ambulance just passed me-"

Edgeworth was in the parking garage, running for his car, Kay by his side looking intensely worried. He slid in, starting the car. "Gumshoe, I'm on my way. I will be there in five minutes."

"B-but sir, aren't you halfway across-"

"I will be there in five minutes. Don't let them do anything until I get there."

"I'll do my best, sir."

Edgeworth hung up without another word. He threw the phone down, speeding out of the parking garage and into the traffic of Los Angeles. Kay, watching him in concern, just barely heard him say to himself, "Madeline, I'm coming."


	5. Interlude 2 - Dishonorable

**A/N: Hello friends! Not much to say here, just a short interlude chapter while I finish typing the next chapter. It'll come hopefully in the next couple days or so, but I have a busy weekend ahead of me. In the meantime, enjoy!**

**~Diana**

* * *

The woman quickly dispelled the video footage of Oak's murder that she'd been incessantly watching. Although she knew her brother didn't approve, she couldn't resist the little intoxicating flutter of something akin to excitement that coursed through her as her brother performed one of the most skilled versions of an assassination. Ironically, her brother had learned it from Oak himself.

"Excellent job, brother," she said.

He nodded, knowing that she couldn't see him very well. Killing Oak was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do. As he'd performed the deed, he'd been swamped with flashbacks of the long days and nights he'd spent sparring with him, and now he'd used one of Oak's own lessons against him. He tried to think contemptuously, as he knew his sister would, thinking how the old man should've seen it coming. But despite the efforts, he was left with only one thought in his head: his former master, his idol, his hero, lying limp on the floor. Most dishonorable. Most dishonorable. His mentor's voice echoed in his mind. And he was lost in memories again.

_"You're strong, Qadir." He was sitting on the floor at age nine, Oak in front of him. "And you're quick." He'd finally managed to disarm his teacher for the first time. "You'll make a good leader of the ring someday. Just don't let your sister-"_

_"Qadir!"_

_"Ah, Quinn, we were just talking about you."_

The man felt his sister's eyes on him and shook himself back to the present. He met her gaze in the reflection in one of her many computer screens.

"You know what Father would say," she told him calmly and the tapping of keys resumed.

"Another pawn destroyed," the man continued, his voice ringing a little hollow.

His sister watched him for a moment with something like concern in her eyes. He wasn't getting soft on her, was he?

"So when does Phase Two begin?"

No. Good.

She pulled another screen closer, glancing at more footage from the cameras her brother had placed almost a month ago in preparation for this very day.

A sunlit park… and a woman with two children atop a grassy hill.

"Now."


	6. A Day in the Park

**A/N: Hi friends! Not much to say this time either, just that theatre has started up again (fun stuff) and I'm a prosecutor for Mock Trial! I'm going to go all Miles Edgeworth on these witnesses and it'll be great. Anyways, enjoy the super dramatic chapter (or at least I think it is. Humor me.). Later!**

**~Diana**

* * *

The bright summer sun warmed a carpet of green grass that covered a hill in Griffith Park. This particular hill was currently occupied by three-quarters of the Edgeworth family. Madeline Edgeworth stretched luxuriously, digging her fingers into the soft cool grass behind her. The hill was comfortably shaded at this time of the day by a large birch tree and a clump of bushes surrounding it.

She glanced ruefully at the pile of case files next to her and wished her husband was here. He would make this so much easier - and not just because he was her boss. She'd gotten her own badge a few years ago, but she'd chosen to remain a legal aide unless desperately needed. She preferred it that way, she enjoyed working so closely with Miles - who will be disappointed if you don't at least skim those files, she thought suddenly.

"Huh," she muttered, looking again at the files. "I could've sworn there were ten…" She counted one more time. Nope, still nine. The confused legal aide stood and looked down the hill, thinking perhaps it had blown down it. Then she heard pages rustling on the other side of a nearby tree. "Hmm?" She walked around the tree.

"Benjamin Gregory Edgeworth!" she scolded, snatching the file away from her nine-year-old son. "What have I told you about reading my files?"

The young boy stood, brushing himself off. "Sorry," he replied, not sounding very penitent as he followed his mother back to the blanket. "I just got bored. I finished my books."

Madeline looked at her son skeptically as he set down the three heavy law books he'd brought, sitting down on the blanket with a decidedly bored expression. She knew Ben was incredibly smart, but he wasn't quite up to par socially, just like his father. She couldn't quite pinpoint the specific moment when her son had grown up so fast.

Loud shouts and laughs distracted the worried mother for the time being and she glanced over to see a few boys she vaguely recognized from Ben's class. They were playing with a soccer ball and seemed to be having a good time. Madeline gently drew Ben's attention to them. "Why don't you go join them? They look like they could use another player."

Ben looked over, then looked away, disinterested. "No thanks. I don't really play sports." He continued under his breath. "And I don't really like those kids anyway."

Madeline sighed wearily. This was a discussion she'd had with Ben many times. "Ben, you can't go on like this. You can't keep going to the library during recess." She suppressed his objection with a hand. "Ben, you need friends your own age."

Ben was quick to retort. "Father didn't have friends his age when he was my age!"

"Your father had Uncle Larry and Uncle Phoenix until his father died. Besides, his circumstances were quite different from yours."

Ben shifted positions. "Well, he had Aunt Franziska and I have Ivey!"

Madeline looked up. "Speaking of, where is your sister?"

"Mom, mom, look at me!" Ivey Edgeworth was poised on the edge of the hill, blonde curls bouncing as she hopped up and down. Once she ensured that she had her mother's full attention, she cartwheeled all the way down the hill, landing in a giggling heap at the bottom. Madeline laughed at her spirited daughter and even serious Ben cracked a smile.

"Will you-?"

"On it." Ben raced down the hill to make sure his sister was okay. He extended a hand to help her up, saying something that Madeline couldn't hear. Ben was extremely protective of his younger sister, and the two generally got along very well. Madeline silently wondered if Ivey would calm down when she was seven or eight as Ben had. She half-hoped the young girl wouldn't - having three geniuses in the house would be far too difficult to manage.

She glanced down again. Ivey was now skipping around Ben in a circle, clearly trying to get him to do something.

Trying to cajole him into submission, the mother thought in amusement. Just like my sister used to do. It stunned her sometimes how much her children resembled the Ivy and Madeline of the days of old, only the ages were reversed.

Madeline sighed, her gaze drawn back to the pile of case files being her. She briefly considered calling her husband, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She knew how important the smuggling ring case was to him.

_Might as well get started_, she thought morosely, picking up the one Ben had been reading. After one last look at her children, she began to read, still managing to keep a watchful eye on them.

Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes behind her. Madeline turned, expecting Miles Edgeworth, but there was no one there. Had she continued looking instead of resuming her reading, she would have seen something even more frightening than the terrible facts on the page - a highly polished metal tube being leveled at her neck.

The woman felt a prick and reached up unconsciously, her eyes still on the page. Did I just get stung by a bee or some… Madeline's mind didn't have time to process the object in her hand before her vision started to blur. She could feel the drugs coursing through her system and she struggled to stay conscious, to tell Ben and Ivey to run. But she couldn't make her lips move. As everything faded to black and she crumpled onto the blanket, Madeline thought she heard her son call her name. Then nothing.


	7. Interlude 3 - For Father

**A/N: Hey guys! Short chapter for now, but Chapter 4 is almost done, hopefully I'll have time to type it up this weekend. Two weeks til Dual Destinies! Who's excited?! I am!**

**~Diana**

* * *

The man threw his bag of tricks near the door and stepped inside the dark room where his sister lurked. She made no sound when he entered, just a simple cock of the head, waiting for confirmation.

"Phase 2 complete."

The woman's eyes didn't stray from the screen with recorded footage from the park. She was closely examining it to make sure no errors had been made - at least, no evident ones. Her brother could be a little impetuous at times, unwilling to commit to a plan. Now that this was finally happening, she had to make sure he was careful.

On the screens, police cars were beginning to arrive at the hill. One large scruffy-looking man in a trench coat looked particularly frantic. The woman ran a quick search on him on another screen and nodded in recognition. Of course, he would be there.

"Where are they?"

"Where we agreed."

"And are they-?"

"Yes."

The woman smiled. "Good." She gave him a swift nod, then glanced back to the screen, enjoying the chaos. Then she paused, looking back at the man. "You didn't kill her yet, right?"

"No. I made sure of that."

The woman smiled again, her grin malicious. "Good. I have more in store for the Edgeworth family. The idea of their precious children-" She stopped, glancing at her brother. No. She wouldn't even say it aloud. It was too delicious.

The man was a bit irritated. His sister was not telling him anything about this plan that they were supposedly concocting together. He supposed it fit the traditional roles, though. She was the brains, he was just the brawn.

His sister seemed to notice his discontent, for she turned and put a hand on his arm. "Patience. All will be revealed in time." When this didn't seem to affect him, she tried again. "Remember why we're doing this, brother," she whispered. "For Father… and for us."

The man nodded as she swiveled back to the computers, a jerk of her head toward the door indicating that the conversation was over. He turned on his heel and left the room abruptly. They both had work to do. For Father… and for us.


End file.
